1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to interferometry and more specifically to wide field interferometry.
2. Introduction
Michelson imaging interferometry only allows for very narrow field-of-view imaging and spectroscopy. It is generally accepted that the field-of-view is limited to the angular extent of the core of the primary beam of ±λ/D, where λ is the wavelength and D is the diameter of a single aperture. However this limitation is not a fundamental physical limitation but arises due to the Van Cittert-Zernike theorem and single pixel or small format detectors. This interferometry approach is used in observing and measuring in space to construct images from multiple smaller, inexpensive telescopes, which rival images generated from much larger, more expensive telescopes which are difficult to construct and maintain. However, this traditional interferometry approach generates very narrow field images. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is improved wide field imaging.